After what Executive Vice President Steve Manos called a "long and extensive search," the University has hired Amelia "Mely" Tynan as its new Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer.
Tynan comes to Tufts from the University of Rochester, where she served as the Vice Provost and Chief Information Officer since 1999. She previously was the Vice Provost for Information Technology (IT) at the University of Arizona.
Tynan fills the job held by Bruce Metz. Upon Tynan's arrival on Sept. 12, Rich Papazian, who has been serving as acting Executive Director of Computing Services, will return to his role as Director of Administrative Computing.
In addition to overseeing Tufts Computing and Communications Services (TCCS), Tynan will also serve as co-chair of the IT Council (ITC), a group of ten representatives from the University's different schools and central administration.
According to the two current co-chairs of the ITC, the coordination of different visions for IT is essential to maximizing the benefits from technology.
"Technology evolves so quickly, especially in higher education," Papazian said. "The new CIO will be involved in the ITC and will utilize TCCS to set the strategic direction for IT."
Mary Lee, the other co-chair of the ITC, said IT plays an important role in coordinating the University's various schools.
"What is key for the IT Council is to understand the strategic plan at every level," she said. "What's critical is the coordination of school IT and central IT."
At Rochester, Tynan consolidated six separate IT units into a central Information Technology Services Center.
Tynan wants to implement similar collaborations across schools and disciplines at Tufts. "Light speed communications are instrumental in teaching and research, and can blur boundaries between groups, disciplines, and geography," she said. "A good CIO brings people together and defines a shared agenda for what everyone needs. How to mobilize and rally people together on getting things done is what I plan to work on."
With Tynan's hiring, Lee wants to enhance the use of IT in three key areas: information management, high speed computing, and collaborative tools. "We're really poised to jump into these areas," she said.
Papazian also mentioned the collaboration across different areas of the University. "The new VP for IT will likely be involved in new strategic plans for different schools," he said. "Mely is heavily qualified."
Tynan is still tying up loose ends at Rochester, but when she arrives at Tufts, she will survey how her collaboration strategies can be implemented.
"As a new CIO, the new vision of IT is never viewed in a vacuum," she said. "As I get to know the campus and visit deans, I'll get a better sense of the University's strategic vision."
